wfn.org | Florida, New York and Texas receive majority of ‘98

["Wilma Shuffitt"<wshuffit@oc.disciples.org>]

refugees
Date: February 25, 1999
Disciples News Service
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Contact: Clifford L. Willis
Email: CWillis@oc.disciples.org
on the Web: http://www.disciples.org

99b-13

	INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) --  Florida, New York and Texas 
attracted the highest concentrations of refugees resettled 
by Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) congregations in 
1998.

	Two hundred and eighteen persons relocated to Florida from 
other countries last year. New York and Texas resettled 129 
and 127 persons respectively. Also resettling more than 100 
refugees in 1998 were Oregon with 109 and Southern 
California with 105.

	Immigrants received in these states comprised about 66 
percent of the 1,212-person caseload handled by the 
Disciples Refugee and Immigration Ministries office in 
1998. The Disciples caseload represented 15 percent of 
Church World Service's total number.

	Of the Disciples total, Cuba (413) and Bosnia (236) were 
hot spots for refugees fleeing to the U.S. in the past 
year. In addition, more than 100 persons fled from the 
Ukraine in the former USSR (154) and Vietnam (148). 
Significant numbers also came to the U.S. from Croatia (60) 
and Iran (49). 

	Seventy-eight Disciples congregations assisted the new 
arrivals, with 15 serving as sponsors or cosponsors. The 
sponsoring congregations were: Peachtree, Atlanta; Augusta, 
Downey Avenue and Southport churches, Indianapolis; 
Central, Washington, Ind.; Douglass Boulevard, Louisville, 
Ky.; Carthage, Cincinnati; Southeast Scottwood, Columbus, 
Ohio; Saint Andrew, Dublin, Ohio; Shepherd of the Hills, 
Austin, Texas; Richland Hills, Fort Worth; First and 
Woodland churches, Houston; and Bon Air Christian Church, 
Richmond, Va. The remainder donated goods, funds or other 
resources.

	Besides the congregational efforts, the Disciples' 
Southwest Good Samaritan Ministries program provided 
valuable assistance to refugees on the Texas/Mexico border. 
That program's work was supported by 65 congregations which 
sent money, volunteers and other resources.

	The  Refugee and Immigration Ministries program is funded 
by Week of Compassion, with additional financial support 
from Homeland Ministries.

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